SUMMARY
- Gigi Riva reportedly took his last breath on January 22, 2024, at the age of 79.
- Riva spent almost the entirety of his career playing for the Italian club Cagliari.
In a tragic series of events, Italian soccer icon Luigi Riva, better known as Gigi Riva, has passed away. Over the last few months, soccer has unfortunately lost several of its legends. English soccer legend Bobby Charlton, German icon Franz Beckenbauer, and Pele have all passed in 2023. However, yet another soccer star has passed away, and this time, it’s Riva.
Gigi Riva reportedly breathed his last on January 22, 2024, at the age of 79. Riva, who got ill at his home in Sardinia, was taken to the hospital, where he passed away. As per the reports, Riva was rushed immediately to the Brotzu hospital in Cagliari after he fell ill. A series of medical tests were carried out to diagnose his illness. However, despite talks of Riva having a heart operation, the former soccer star died.
Inter and Napoli pay tribute to Azzurri icon Luigi ‘Gigi’ Riva with a moment of silence before the second half of the Supercoppa Italiana final. ❤️
Riva, who passed away Monday at 79, remains Italy’s all-time leading scorer (35). pic.twitter.com/nEMzq4Acz0
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) January 22, 2024
Shortly after the news of Riva’s death went viral, condolences and messages of support started pouring in. Italian clubs like Inter Milan, Napoli, AC Milan, and Riva’s former club Cagliari mourned Riva’s death and bade him farewell. In addition to this, Italy’s legendary goalkeeper and Riva’s former teammate Dino Zoff also mourned the loss of a “great friend” and revealed that he was too grief-stricken to say anything else.
Gigi Riva’s career achievements and honors
One of the greatest players in Italian soccer history, Gigi Riva did have a spectacular career. Nicknamed ‘Rombo di Tuono’ or ‘Roar of Thunder’, Riva was known for his skills, speed, and incredible composure. Riva spent almost the entirety of his career playing for the Italian club Cagliari. He spent just a year playing for Legnano before moving to Cagliari.
Over his career, Riva has won the Serie A and the UEFA Euros with Italy. He also was the runners-up in the 1970 World Cup and also was runners-up in the 1969 Ballon d’Or. He was also associated with the Italian national team as its head coach and director for a period of 25 years, from 1988 to 2013. Despite retiring from the national team decades ago, Luigi Riva is still the top scorer in Italy’s history, with 35 goals from 42 international matches.
A look at Gigi Riva’s family and net worth
While there’s not much information available about Gigi Riva’s family and personal life, the former Cagliari star is succeeded by his two children, Mauro Riva and Nicola Riva. Although Riva grew up in a small north Italian town called Leggiuno, he spent the majority of his life in Sardinia. The 79-year-old late soccer player reportedly sold his family home in Legguino before constructing a new home in Sardinia.
Regarding his personal life, Riva abstained from being active on any social media platform. Last but not least, as per the reports from Sports Mob, at the time of his death, Gigi Riva’s net worth was estimated to be somewhere around $10 million.